Forbidden Fruit
by My Comforting Lie33
Summary: Hermione and Draco are sentenced to detention, by none other than Snape. While in the dark forest, Hermione comes upon an object of forbidden fruit(literally) that will change both of their lives forever. Will love develop? Read and Review
1. How it all began

"Why must I always be assigned to Malfoy as a partner?" Hermione thought to herself, as she gathered her things to go to the Slytherin side of the classroom. She sat down in said very civilly to him "I'll write the report and gather the materials, if you just do the potion and I help out. Things will move smoother if we just do not talk."  
  
He had that arrogant sneer that seemed to be forever plastered on his face. "What ever you say , mudblood. Just do not touch me."  
  
She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Unlike most girls, I do not want to touch you. You disgust me"  
  
" I find that hardly believable. There isn't a girl around here that doesn't want to be with me. Although, you are not really a girl are you? You are just a mudblood, after all."   
  
She just scoffed and went about her business.   
  
An hour later,( a very difficult hour, with lots of arguing) the potion was ready. It had just came to a simmer and turned a vibrant orange color. The correct color. Unlike Neville and Goyle's potion, which had turn a nasty brown.   
  
"There, the report is ready. Now all we need to do is bottle the potion." Hermione said as she straightened the papers.  
  
"It isn't ready yet. It is not the correct shade of orange." Malfoy said rudely.  
  
"Yes it is, ferret boy. Look at the example color in the potions book." Hermione retorted.  
  
"No, mudblood. It needs to be a little darker. I, unlike you, know what I am doing." He spat back.  
  
" I know you're wrong. But that would not be the first time, you pompous prick." She muttered.  
  
" Well, instead of reading "Hogwarts: A History" all the time, maybe you should read a book on how to be more like a girl. You seem to fail that aspect."  
  
Before Malfoy knew what was happening, Hermione threw a punch in his face , and he was on the floor with a bloody nose.   
  
"GRANGER! DETENTION FOR A MONTH! AND 50 POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!" Snape yelled suddenly from his desk.   
  
Malfoy laughed through his blood. "See , Gryffindor bitch, you can't get away with assaulting or insulting me. You will always be a mudblood." Swiftly, he hexed her chair to fall out from under her . Then 'accidentally' stepped on her hand.  
  
"Draco, detention for tonight. I will see you both in my office at 8:00 sharp. I honestly expected better from you."  
  
For a minute, Malfoy looked surprised, but after realizing he had it only for one night as she had it for a month, he was perfectly well suited.   
  
"See you tonight, dear" Malfoy said sarcastically as he pushed her out of his way.  
  
Harry and Ron came over to her and looked worried. "Are you ok, Mione? Do you want me to get him?" Ron said heatedly.  
  
"No offense Ron, but I think she got him good enough. You see all that blood on the floor? That was great, Hermione! I would have cheered louder, but I didn't want to cause more trouble for you." Harry said smiling.  
  
This made a grin appear on her face. "Thank you , guys. I'm sure I'll survive."  
  
Little did she know what magic had in store for her.  
  



	2. Speaking of mental, how is your dad thes...

Hermione went down to the dungeons 10 minutes before she was due. Her spirits were low. Harry and Ron had tried to cheer her up by saying "Hex the git if he starts any problems" or "You've got a brilliant right hook, Mione. You can take care of him." Thinking of this it made her smile. She had the greatest friends. Even if Ron was a little slow sometimes, and Harry had a bad temper. It did not matter. They were HER friends, and they were wonderful.  
  
She opened Snape's door and heard his slimy voice ring out. "You're late, Granger."  
  
"I'm 10 minutes early, sir." Hermione protested.  
  
"Well, Draco seemed to make it 20 minutes early. So as far as I'm concerned, you are late." He said with a nasty grin.  
  
She sighed and went to his desk.  
  
"You're detention will be served in the dark forest. You are to gather leaves from a particular tree, for me. I have a very complicated potion to make, so do not mess this up. The type of leaves I am looking for are called 'Serpentatia'. The trail you will take is 10 yards past Hagrid's shack. You will see that glowing stones light it up. Stick to that trail. At the end of this trail, you will see a rather large tree. This is the only tree that you are to take leaves from. I need them to be ripe and cleanly cut. You are not to pick the ones that have fallen off the tree. Here is the basket you will use. I want it filled to the top"  
  
He handed over a basket that appeared to be 10 inches wide and 5 inches deep. However, much to their dismay, when you look inside you can see that it was actually 4 feet deep. They groaned inwardly, as this would make them spend more unwanted time together.  
  
"If it isn't filled by the time you leave, you will continue this until it is, Granger. Now hand over your wands. I don't need you two killing each other. Although, that would make my problems a lot easier. " They handed them over slowly. "Leave now!" He ordered loudly.  
  
It was not even 2 seconds after they stepped out of the classroom that Malfoy started more trouble with her.  
  
"I am going to take my time tonight so that you have to go back tomorrow alone." He said arrogantly.  
  
"As far as I'm concerned, I am alone." She retorted.  
  
"Well in that case, if anything dangerous happens to attack us, I'll make sure to throw you up front." He said, sneering.  
  
They finally reached the forest and saw the stones that glowed.  
  
"There isn't much light provided by those stones. Maybe I can ask Hagrid for a torch or something." Hermione thought out loud.  
  
"Oh no you don't. We're not asking that oaf for help. It is fine."  
  
"Well if you can see so well, you lead the way."  
  
Malfoy gulped. It was a well known fact that he was afraid of the forest, rather he admit it or not.   
  
After an hour of walking, Hermione broke the silence.  
  
"The stones are getting lighter. We wont be able to see after long."   
  
"We'll see just fine. Quit whining." He said gruffly.  
  
"I am not whining. I was just worried." She stated.  
  
"It sounded like whining to me, mudblood. Just shut up already. You're voice is driving me nutters."   
  
"You were already crazy, ferret face. Speaking of people who are mental, how is your dad these days?"  
  
Malfoy stopped suddenly and balled his fists. He stood there for a second and you could almost see steam coming from his ears. Then he started walking again, but faster this time.  
  
They walked in silence until they came upon the tree. In was huge and looked as if it could take up an entire football field.  
  
"Wow." Hermione whispered. They stood there in awe for a few minutes before Malfoy started walking towards the tree.   
  
"How are we supposed to cut any leaves? The branches are at least 9 feet from the ground!" said Hermione.  
  
Malfoy wouldn't answer.   
  
"Hello?" She said waving her hand in his face.  
  
"Figure it out on your own." He said, and threw the basket at her.  
  
"Fine."   
  
Hermione tried finding a spot to climb up. She had a good leg up but was about to fall when suddenly, Malfoy was there to push her up.  
  
"Don't kill yourself, Granger. Leave that for me."   
  
He started to walk off.  
  
"Thank you, Malfoy." She said softly. He looked back at her and shrugged it off.   
  
After 2 hours of her cutting leaves (and Malfoy sitting in the grass), she had the basket half full.   
  
"I'm going to take a break. Do you want to take over?" She asked.  
  
"Oh, can I?." He said sarcastically.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry about the comment I made about your father. Perhaps that was a little low." She said, after a few moments of silence.  
  
"To tell you the truth, I don't really care if he's in there or not." He said softly.  
  
"Really? But I thought that you .."   
  
" No, I didn't 'adore' him as much as everyone made it out. Or as much as I made it out. But I don't want to talk about it anymore, especially not with you."  
  
She sat quietly for a few more moments. She glanced over to her left and saw something shining.  
  
"What..is that?" Hermione said as she walked over to it.  
  
As she got closer she realized that it was an apple. All of a sudden she became famished. Taking the apple from the tree, she took a large bite from it. It tasted so sweet and juicy that she wanted more. Before she could take another bite, Malfoy grabbed it out of her hand and took a bite as well.   
  
All of a sudden, the world seemed to stop. The crickets quit chirping, the wind quit blowing, and they both found it hard to move.  
  
(a/n) ALright guys. Like i've said, this is my first fic. I've had this idea for a long time, but writing it down how i've pictured it was the problem. I accept all critisizm. I want to say thank you for my first reviewers. Your comments were extremely sweet! Thank you. 


	3. It's your bloody fault

Everything went back to normal and they both fell to the ground.  
  
"What just happened?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I don't bloody know. There was something wrong with that apple." Draco spat out.   
  
They both looked on the ground at the apple and saw that it was rotten now and didn't look quite as appeasing as it did 2 seconds ago.   
  
" We should head back now. Something doesn't feel right." Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah. You can finish this tomorrow." Draco said with an evil grin.  
  
They both stood up and began to take the trail back. Draco made Hermione drag the basket behind her. It was extremely heavy so she walked slower than normal.   
  
"Can you walk any faster?" He yelled from ahead.  
  
"It's kind of hard when you have to drag a large basket that weighs 100 pounds!" She screamed back.  
  
He stopped suddenly and sprinted over to her. "Here" he said harshly, grabbing the basket and lifting it as if it weighed nothing.   
  
********  
  
After a few hours they noticed that they could not find their way out. In each and every direction they went in, they ended up right back at the tree.  
  
"Well this is all your fault." Draco said cruelly.  
  
"Why on earth is it MY fault? What did I do?"   
  
"That bloody apple was probably cursed. You practically shoved it in my face and made me eat it. Now look what you've done." Draco said, shifting his eyes to the ground.  
  
"I MADE YOU EAT IT? YOU GRABBED IT OUT OF MY HAND! WHY YOU LITTLE…" Hermione screamed at him and started moving forward as to attack him.  
  
"Hold up Granger. Don't assault me today. I'll actually defend myself since there are not people around. " He smirked.  
  
"Great, now I can kill you and get away with it!" She said quietly.  
  
" I heard that, and I think it's preposterous. You thinking a mudblood could kill a Malfoy. That would only happen in your dreams. Well, that and you getting a boyfriend. I don't ever see that happening." He leered.  
  
"I have had PLENTY of boyfriends. You just haven't known about them. Not that, that matters. At least I don't have to pay or scare people into loving me. They do it on their own free will." she argued back .  
  
That shut him up quickly. Then after a few moments he said, "I, unlike you, can go throughout life without love. It's not of importance to me."   
  
"That is sad." She said, truthfully.  
  
"Why is that sad? Love only gets in the way of things! Have you not noticed that ? And when you do fall in love or care for someone, do you notice that its not forever? That you'll always be separated by something? Like death, another person, differences. So no thanks, I'd rather not waste my time on something so foolish. " He stated, out of breath.  
  
She stared at him. Deep into the gray pools of his eyes. So much torment surfaced, but he soon covered up by turning away.  
  
"Well I think love is a beautiful thing. But of course, until you experience it, you'll never know." She turned away and started to walk towards the tree.  
  
"What makes you think that I haven't experienced it?" He said viciously.  
  
"By your attitude. By your actions. You definitely do not know what its like to love or be loved , or you wouldn't criticize it so much." She said simply.  
  
"Just because I don't parade my feelings and experiences around, doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about." He stated.  
  
"Fine. I don't want to fight anymore. I'm tired." She breathed out.   
  
"Who said we were fighting. I like to call it a heated discussion." He said, chuckling to himself.  
  
Hermione looked at him strangely. "Are you mental? Why are you laughing?" She asked with a small smile creeping on her lips as well.  
  
"Nothing. You just don't know when to admit when you're wrong. And I find it funny."  
  
"How am I wrong?" Her smile quickly erased by a frown.  
  
"The whole conversation we just had, you didn't listen to a word I said, Granger."  
  
"Yes I did! I am a GREAT listener. How do you think I've gotten such good grades? Huh?" She said matter of factly.  
  
"Grades aren't everything." He said simply and walked away towards the field by the tree.  
  
"And you would know?" She yelled back.  
  
He just turned around and smiled. "Yeah, I do." Then kept on walking.  
  
"Where are you going!" She yelled back.   
  
But she didn't get an answer.   
  
He had laid down in the grass and quickly went to sleep.   
  
(a/n) Ok guys. Sorry for the lack of update. To answer anyone's objection to this chapter, NO they are not getting close already. Draco's guard is down a lot more because there is no one there to say otherwise. But no they are not even getting close to liking or loving each other. Just….being civil I guess. I might update once more tonight, but until then…..REVIEW! Love you guys!  
  
*Comforting Lie 


	4. At least we can agree upon one thing

Hermione awoke to birds chirping and the sun shining brightly upon her. For a minute, she forgot where she was. However, it all came back to her.   
  
She was stuck in the Dark Forest with Malfoy.   
  
She sat up and looked around. He was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Malfoy!" She screamed loudly. All of a sudden, a young boy with bright blond hair popped up from the field far off.  
  
"What do you want mudblood." He said, brusquely.  
  
"Aw, damn. You're still alive." She said sarcastically.  
  
"Yes, fortunately. Without me, you'd be lost."  
  
"Because of you, I am lost."  
  
"Whatever. What the in bloody hell do you want?"  
  
"Do you think we can find our way back?"  
  
"I imagine it would be easier seeing as the sun is out. For someone so smart...you're really thick."  
  
"Oh shut up."  
  
She grabbed a hold of the basket and ventured towards the path they had taken on their way there.   
  
"You can't take that way back." Malfoy yelled at her.  
  
"And just why can't I, oh great one."  
  
"Because I've already tried, oh dirty one." He spat at her.  
  
"Well you do have a tendency to do things wrong. So I think I'll try on my own." She said and walked back towards the trail.  
  
"That's fine. Nevertheless, you will look like a total arse when you wind right back here in an hour."  
  
"Like you care." She muttered.  
  
She walked down the trail, dragging the heavy basket after her.   
  
Why must he be so bloody infuriating? Of all people, I am stuck with him. This must be some cruel joke that Snape has done towards us. All I want to do is curl up by the fire and read a nice book. Is that so much to ask?  
  
The path seemed dark, even in the daylight. The stones still glowed and when she got closer to examine them, she saw that they were not stones at all, but turtle shells.   
  
On the shells, there were diminutive markings upon them. Carvings, to be exact. In addition, the designs themselves were the things that glowed.   
  
"This looks familiar. What language is it? Oh, I know this. We had a test on it a month ago in History of Magic. Goblin, maybe?"   
  
She picked up the shell and placed it in her pocket.   
  
As she journeyed on, she noticed things that did not look familiar at all. Such as a large pink tree. That was not there last night. I am sure we would have noticed it. She said to herself.  
  
She got up closer to the tree and noticed that the pink coloring was apples.  
  
Could this have been the tree I plucked the apple from? She thought, with her stomach turning, thinking back to the rotten apple.  
  
Before long, she noticed the large tree coming into view.  
  
" I told you so." She heard Malfoy sneer behind her.  
  
She rolled her eyes and turned around. "I came back to tell you I found the way out." She lied.  
  
"You did? Seems to me that you just wound up right back, like said you would. And you are just a little too proud to admit that you're wrong."  
  
"That is not right at all. You are just too proud to admit that I am smarter than you."   
  
"Let's say hypothetically that you did indeed find your way out. Why would you come back to tell me you have found the way? You would rather me rot out here."  
  
"I can't have your death on my hands. I am prefect and all. And if I want to get the Head Girl position next year, I do not think that will look so great on my record. Do you?"   
  
He smirked once more.  
  
"Mudblood, just admit you were wrong. Why are you so stubborn."   
  
" I am not stubborn and I am not wrong." She turned away.   
  
"I followed you, dim wit. I know you didn't find your way."  
  
"You didn't follow me!"  
  
"I did so. In fact, there is a turtle shell in your pocket, is there not?"  
  
"How mental do you get?"  
  
"Not as mental as Potter."  
  
"Don't you bring Harry into this. Why is it that every time someone points out your flaws, you immediately make fun of someone else to make yourself feel better? That just shows how low your self-esteem is. Of course with a father like yours, I can see where that comes from."  
  
"Why is it that every time I'm right, you bring up my father to infuriate me?"  
  
"Because."  
  
"Because?"  
  
"Yes, because."  
  
"Now what was I saying about you being stubborn? Oh yes, you are EXTREMELY stubborn. Just admit it Granger, you're not always right."  
  
"Why don't you admit that you're mental, and I'll admit that I'm not always right." She said adamantly, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Well of course I'm mental. In a world so full of people like you, how could I have not gone nutters?"  
  
He walked off and sat under the huge tree for shade.  
  
"Fine, I'm stubborn. See that was not so hard. Next we'll work on your attitude"  
  
"My attitude is just fine, thank you. Save your personality makeovers for your boyfriend, Weasel."  
  
"HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" she yelled.  
  
Malfoy started to laugh.   
  
"What are you laughing at?"   
  
" He broke up with you didn't he? For that Patil girl."  
  
"No, shut up."  
  
"Yes he did. Aww the poor little mudblood got her heart broken." He said, getting right into her face.  
  
" At least I have a heart." She spat at him.  
  
" I have a heart. Otherwise, how could I be standing here in front of you?"  
  
"You know what I mean." She screamed and turned away.  
  
" Oh, you mean you're pathetic. Ok."  
  
" I am not pathetic. YOU are pathetic. So pathetic that you actually sleep with Pansy Parkinson. How desperate do you get?"  
  
"I have not." He said simply.  
  
"Oh really? I don't believe you."  
  
"I don't care."  
  
"Neither do I."   
  
*5 minutes of silence*  
  
"I'm hungry." Malfoy whined.  
  
"Quit whining."  
  
" I learned from the best."  
  
"Quit starting fights with me."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Why not, what?"  
  
"YOU'RE SO INFURIATING!" She screamed at him at the top of her lungs. Once more, he started to laugh.  
  
" And you're so quick to anger. What can I say next to upset you."  
  
"Nothing, because I'm not listening."  
  
"You're not?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Well if you're not then why did you just answer."  
  
She opened her mouth to talk but shut it again. Her face turning blood red in the process.  
  
All of a sudden, Malfoy stared off into the distance.  
  
"Look there. " He pointed.  
  
She turned around and saw that there was a cabin in the distance.  
  
"That wasn't there 10 minutes ago. Where did it come from?" She asked.  
  
"I don't know, lets go check it out." He said quietly.  
  
Hermione stared at him for a second, not believing the tone of voice he used with her. It sounded almost civil.  
  
They walked up to the front door and knocked. The door flew open and they saw a table full of food.  
  
They both ran over, filling up quickly on the large turkey.  
  
"Do you think anyone lives here?" Hermione asked in between spoonfuls of food.  
  
"I don't know. I am beginning to think that this was all a plan. And I think that ruddy Dumbledore had a hand in it."  
  
  
  
"Dumbledore wouldn't do this to us. Snape would though."  
  
"Snape wouldn't give us food though. He'd leave us to starve."  
  
"Well there's one thing we can agree on." Hermione said smiling smugly.  
  
(a/n) There, a longer chapter! Whew! Sorry I have not written in a while. I wanted to make sure I had a good enough chapter for you guys. Read and Review folks. 


	5. Dumbledore's Explanation

DISCLAIMER: I absolutely forgot to put this at the beginning of my story and now I feel like crap. But I'm sure all of you know by now that I'm DEFINITELY not J.K. Rowling and that all of the characters belong to her.  
  
After eating quietly, both Hermione and Draco wandered through the abandoned cabin to investigate.  
  
"It doesn't appear as if anyone has ever lived in here." Hermione said just above a whisper.  
  
"I see what you mean. It has to be a part of some curse involving that bloody apple. I just know it." Draco said back.  
  
"What do you think it is? What would Dumbledore want us to be stranded out here for? I mean, he knows we hate each other!" Hermione stated upset.  
  
"Maybe that's just it, Granger. He did this as some part of a "Inter-house unity" program or something. How stupid does that old man get?"  
  
"Don't call him stupid. He is a very intelligent and trustworthy person. Well, he was until this. I am sure he has greater motives surrounding it all. We just have to figure it...." She stopped talking when she saw a piece of parchment float from the ceiling onto the table.  
  
"Figure it?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow. He followed her eyes and soon saw what had captured her attention.  
  
They both walked over to the table and picked it up. However, as luck would have it, they did it at the same time and the parchment tore.   
  
"Way to go Granger. Now look what you've done."  
  
"Look what I've done? You pulled at it too, mister."  
  
"No I simply picked it up. You grabbed at it like a baby grabs for a sucker."  
  
"What?! You are the greedy prat who grabs for everything. Do you not remember the apple?"  
  
"How could I forget it? You keep reminding me every 5 seconds. And lets not forget that I'm stuck here with filth. I mean, you." He said through gritted teeth.  
  
She ignored his temper and attempted to put the pieces of paper back together as best she could. When she finally had it finished, she could see it was a letter from Dumbledore.  
  
Dear Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy,  
  
I would like to explain things a little further, as I know you must be very confused (and perhaps angry. I do apologize.).  
  
When Professor Snape informed me of your little spat in his classroom, I decided to give you a detention you both would not forget. Not completely as punishment, but as a learning experience. Therefore, I made the tree with the apples with a temptation curse. When you both bit the apple, you were pulled into somewhat of another dimension.   
  
(Do not worry Miss Granger; you are not missing any assignments or classes.)  
  
The only way for you to break the curse is to form a friendship. At this time, I know it sounds crazy. But I am sure that if you sat down and talked, (civilly, mind you) you will see that you have a lot in common.   
  
If you have not formed a friendship in 1 week your time, you will be released and I will realize it has failed.   
  
Please do try it. With recent events, I assure you that inter-house unity will help everyone. I trust you both far more than other students because you two are far the best students I have seen in 100 years.   
  
Good luck, and do try hard,  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
They sat there in silence for more than 10 minutes before either of them spoke.  
  
"What could we possibly have in common?" Draco stated.  
  
"At least we're not missing any classes." Hermione sighed.  
  
"Is that all that matters to you? Classes?" He asked, almost laughing.  
  
" It is the only important thing I have going on for me, so yes."  
  
"You have plenty going on for you, you just don't realize it , Granger." He stated, looking straight into her eyes. "I, on the other hand, have nothing to look forward to. So I consider this a vacation." Shifting his eyes to the window.  
  
"I guess we should at least try to get along. If all else fails, we can ignore each other for a week." Hermione said, disregarding his previous statement.  
  
"Fine, truce." Draco said, walking towards the door.  
  
"This means no calling me mudblood. I know how tempting that must be for you, but it will only start fights. And no talking rude about my friends."  
  
" Fine. Don't call me ferret boy or anything related to that."  
  
"Fine."  
  
After a few minutes, Draco went to go outside and said "I'll be around, Granger."  
  
Hermione sat down on the bed, in disbelief.   
  
This would be a long week.  
  
(a/n) Sorry I don't update as often as I should. I'm having a bit of a problem with writers block. But don't fear, I'll try to come up with exciting ideas. I know this chapter must seem very ...boring, but all will get better.  
  
REVIEW!!!! 


	6. Down By The River

The next 2 days were peaceful. They stayed away from each other for they knew that if they spent too much time together, all hell would break loose. 

Hermione explored the cabin further to and came upon a study with a wonderful collection of books. She grabbed a few and went to one of the rooms in the back. Ironically enough, her room was decked out in gold and red. She peeked into the second bedroom and saw it had been decorated with green and silver.

"Dumbledore must have thought this through, a long time ago." She thought to herself.

A few hours later ( and two books as well) Hermione wandered out of her room.

"Where is Malfoy? He's been gone a long time." She walked out of the cabin. She heard the distinct sound of a babbling brook or river. Sure enough, there was one nestled behind the cabin.

She walked closer to the embankment and sat down. The cool water rushed through the small rocks, fast. The sound was so comforting. She took her shoes off and let the water flow through her toes. It was a mildly hot day and the idea of swimming sounded great. So she went to the cabin to see if there were any swim clothes in the dresser drawers.

Of course there were. Just a plain , red , one piece bathing suit. She grabbed a towel and went back towards the river.

She waded in until the water came to her waist. She just kind of stood there for a while. Enjoying nature and the chilly water. Just then, something splashed her in the face.

She turned around but was confronted with another splash.

"MALFOY!!! What do you think you're doing?"

"Lighten up , Granger. Have a little fun." He smirked as he splashed her again.

"This is NOT funny! Stop this instant!"

"Or what? Will you nag me to death?"

"GRRRRRR" She growled as she started for the sand. He grabbed her feet and pulled her under.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked as he pulled her up.

"Any where away from YOU!" She screamed.

He held her arms down as she squirmed at her sides.

"I don't have a disease , you know. So quit acting like you're going to catch something." He said softly, but with an angry face.

"What do you expect? You started splashing me with water, attacking me. You're rude to me all the time. You're hateful. So if that's what its like to be around you, than no thanks. I'd rather not." She said huffily.

He let her go and swam in the opposite direction.

"Suit yourself, Granger." She watched him as he had his back turned. He was looking towards the sky.

She did try to act nice towards her. Tried to interact with her. He didn't call her mudblood. He was civil.

"Malfoy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I… apologize. But you just scared me and embarrassed me. " She yelled to him.

He looked at her and shrugged.

She got back in the water and swam towards him.

"How long were you in here?" She asked him.

" Before you. I was laying down those rocks earlier. I fell asleep. I think I'm sun burnt." He said , grimacing.

She giggled. "Serves you right. You should have worn sunscreen."

The corners of his mouth tugged in as if he were going to smile. It was the first honest look , she ever saw.

"I don't have any obviously. I'm in the middle of nowhere."

"Not necessarily. If you need something, the cabin produces it." She said , matter of factly.

" Like the 'Room of Requirement'?" He asked, eyebrows raised.

"You know about the 'Room of Requirement' ?" She asked, swimming closer to him.

"Of course I know about it."

"How?"

" I don't sleep well. I usually wonder around the castle at night. I came upon it. Simple as that."

"Why did you see when you walked inside? What were you in need of?"

" A place to get away."

"What do you mean?" She asked, floating in front of him.

" When I opened the door, it was a garden. It had a swing. The most comfortable swing ever. It was the garden at the Manor. It almost transported me home. But it was better than home. Because I was alone." He said. As he described it, his eyes lit up. His eyebrows moved to every exciting word.

"Wow, that sounds wonderful. Just being alone. In nature. The best times , I've found, are ones where I'm alone." Hermione said, looking off into the distance.

"Are you kidding me? I thought you loved being apart of the 'Trio' and going on special adventures to save the world."

"Things have changed." Hermione said quietly, looking towards the water.

"Oh, because of Weasley, right?" He questioned. She expected him to taunt her any minute now. But it never came. He sat there awaiting her response.

"Yes, because of Ron."

"So, I really did hit a sour note earlier then."

"Yes. It just goes to show, the ones you love the most hurt you the worst."

"Of course they do. Because you don't expect it." He said, knowingly.

" Have you ever had your heart broken before?" She daringly asked.

" Why is that important?"

" I was just wondering if you were speaking from experience."

" Yes, I have." He said, moving away from her. "But lets talk about you a little more. What exactly did Weasel do?"

She hesitated. Why should she trust him with this? How would she know that he wouldn't use it against her, when they returned to school?

" He uh, well. Its hard to talk about."

" Let me guess. He was your first sexual encounter. You pledged your love. He cheated on you. You can't stand to be near him because he betrayed you. And you cant be with Potter unless he's there too. SO you got screwed in the deal." He said swimming around her.

" Yes. Pretty much." She said blushing.

He nodded knowingly. "Everyone has that happen to them at least once in their lifetime. You'll get over it."

"Get over it? " She scoffed. "Easier said than done." She huffed, folding her arms across her chest.

"Granger, you're 16. You have a full life ahead of you. Don't think that is the last time you'll love or get hurt. For someone so smart, you can be so dense."

She rolled her eyes. "I've taken that into consideration, Malfoy. I'm not thick." He smiled.

"You'd be surprised."

She wanted to smirk at him. To throw a witty comeback. But she couldn't. She laughed. Malfoy actually made her laugh.

She began to think over and over about why he would do that. Why wasn't he insulting her. She didn't know how to handle the attitude adjustment.

"Quit over analyzing everything, Granger. Honestly. I can be a decent human being when I want to." He said, almost reading her thoughts.

"But why do you want to?"

"Why not?"

" Not this again." She laughed.

"What?" He asked, smirking.

" Please quit replying in only questions."

"What do you mean, Granger? I don't understand? " he said again.

"You know bloody well what I'm talking about. Go on with yourself." She said smiling.

" But I thought you liked when I questioned you?"

"STOP! Seriously!" She laughed even more. He swam closer to her. "Stop what?"

"Malfoy!" she said laughing , swimming backwards.

He swam after her and grabbed her ankles again. She tried to kick free. Laughing the entire time. Finally he got a good grip and pulled her towards him.

They were inches apart. He was smiling at her. A genuine smile.

" You should smile more often." She said above a whisper.

"Why is that?" He asked smiling more.

"You like a completely different person."

"How so?"

She growled with a smile. " You just do!" She stated. Getting nervous she started to back up.

Things were quiet as they swam in a circle. Him staring at her, her staring at the sky.

" You should smile more often too, you know." He said.

"I DO smile!" She said.

"Yes, but you never mean it."

" Of course I do." She stated, lying.

" No you don't, Hermione." He said, sweetly.

She gasped loudly, which made him smile wider and look away.

She stared at him longer not understanding but soon smiled herself.

The sun started to go down and there was a chill in the air so they decided to head into the cabin.

" I didn't even know that so much time passed by. Did you?" She asked.

" Not really. I wasn't paying attention to that." He said as they swam towards the shore. She blushed to herself.

But she blushed even more when she saw him come out of the water. He was in swimming trunks. His body was very sculpted. Something she never really paid attention to. His back was covered with scars though. Like someone lashed him with a whip. It made her cringe, but she quickly hid it as he turned around.

"Like what you see , Granger?" He asked smirking.

She laughed airily. " Of course not. You're not my type. " He laughed. A real laugh.

"And just what exactly IS your type? A librarian?"

"No, you git. The sensitive, poetic, non bad boy. That's my type."

"Oh. I see. So you mean Longbottom? Never knew you were keen on him. Thanks for the information." he teased. She just laughed.

They were both exhausted so they decided to head to their rooms.

"Today was weird." he said , before they entered the rooms.

" I agree. But it was pleasant." she said. "Good night…..Draco." She said as she closed her door.

He stood there for a minute before whispering, " Goodnight Hermione."

He couldn't speak or think. Never had his name sounded so wonderful, as it did from her mouth.

What was happening to him? Why was he having feelings for her? A mudblood no less? Did that bloody Dumbledore bewitch him? No. He couldn't have. Did she? No.

He was just so desperate for love. For acceptance, that he now looked for it , in her.

But that wasn't so bad was it?

Of course it wasn't here. Here they could be their selves. But when they returned to Hogwarts, he would have to resume his old persona.

But did he really want to? He liked being himself.

And strangely , he liked being himself with her.


	7. Tickle Me Pink

Hermione woke the next morning with a smile on her face. The birds were chirping and the wind blew through her curtains. The sweet smell of gardenias wafted through her window. She stretched and yawned.

Then it hit her. The day before with Malfoy. What a great day it was. She never thought it possible that she would enjoy time with him.

She kept recalling his smile. His beautiful smile. She stopped herself right there.

"There is no way I will allow myself to fall for him. No way at all." She was tired of being hurt. She was tired of being walked over. Of being taken advantage of and used. She was drained.

She promised herself that friends would be all that could be.

She rose out of bed and went to greet the morning.

She found his door open and him already gone.

Where could he be again?

She ate breakfast and walked into the study. She found him there. Asleep on the couch with an opened book in his lap.

He looked so soft and gentle. So different.

She began to think thoughts she didn't want to. Of how she wanted him to hold her in his arms. She shook away the feelings and tried to think of something else. How would she be able to read with him in here? She didn't want to shake him. Because she would have to touch him and she knew if she touched him that she would want to keep touching him.

So she grabbed the poker from the fireplace and poked him. He mumbled and rolled over. She poked him again and he awoke.

"Wha…where…What in the bloody hell are you doing?" He asked looking at her like she was mad.

" I was making sure you were still alive. You weren't moving and I couldn't tell if you were breathing." She said , quickly.

"Oh , honestly Granger." He smirked.

She walked over to the wall behind him and began to browse the books.

Things were quiet so she assumed that he walked out. But she was sadly mistaken.

She suddenly felt fingers tickling her. She couldn't get away from his grip. And she was laughing uncontrollably. "Draco! Please! Stop! I ….can't….breath!"

He let go and she chased after him.

"You can't catch me! Why are you even trying?!" He yelled back at her. With him saying that, it made her want to go after him more.

By now, they were outside running in circles. He ran towards a pier and stopped right at the end. But she was going to fast to stop and ran straight into the water. It was cold and the weight of her clothes kept bringing her down. Her foot got caught on a root and she panicked and let out the air she held in.

Draco was laughing out loud. He saw bubbles appear.

"Very funny, Mione. That's enough."

But she didn't come up.

He felt a strong feeling of foreboding. He tore off his shirt, pants and shoes and dived in quickly.

At first he couldn't see anything, but he saw her finally with her hand still stretched upwards. He swam briskly towards her and pulled her to the surface.

When he got her to shore, he checked her breathing.

There wasn't any.

He had to give her C.P.R.

He lowered his lips to hers and breathed into her. Suddenly she gasped and rolled to her side and puked.

Coughing she said, " I win."

He smiled softly at her. "Don't ever do that again. You scared me."

"The great and powerful Malfoy was scared?" She mocked.

"What would I tell Dumbledore?"

He had her in his lap and was staring into her eyes. The beautiful rich brown eyes. They warmed his soul. Her arms encircled around his neck , she tried to help herself up. She fell back because she got dizzy and her lips were centimeters from his.

He looked into her eyes more deeply and leaned in slowly. Their lips met and electricity surged through their bodies.

They stared at each other the entire time. They couldn't break away.

Their kiss deepened when he slid his tongue along her lips and pushed his way in. Massaging his tongue with hers, she moaned softly.

They pulled away moments later, out of breath.

"What just happened?" She asked, looking away.

"You looked short of breath, I thought I'd help you."

"Oh, that's rich." She snickered.

"What are we doing, Granger?"

"I don't know, Malfoy." She said softly. "But I like it." 


	8. Fate is a wicked thing

That evening they talked. They** really** talked. About their life and how they became the people they are today. They expressed all of the emotions they felt. 

He explained his harsh up bringing. How his father stressed the fact that he was to follow in his footsteps should anything happen to him.

At the age of 6, Lucius put Draco through intensive training for the Dark Arts. He made sure every chance he got to tell him he would be apart of the Death Eaters and he should be quite proud that the Dark Lord even considered him. How Lord Voldemort took special interest in him. For in him, he saw something no other saw. He wouldn't say of course. But Lucius always assumed that he saw Draco as his successor.

The thought of such frightened him. In his deep put away heart, he knew he could never be that evil. He could never kill innocent people. He formed his actions by what Lucius saw fit because he was afraid of what he would do.

When he was 9, his mother and him ventured into muggle London. And older lady dropped her bag so he bent down to pick it up for her. His father beat him horribly for it.

"NEVER HELP A MUGGLE!" he said , as he lashed his back with a whip. That's why he has bad scars on his back. His father really didn't beat him often. That was one of the only instances. But he beat him mentally, so to say. And that's why he acted the way he did.

He explained that he never hated her or the trio. He envied Harry though. Although an orphan, he was loved by so many. And Draco never had that. Except for once.

One of their servants had a young daughter his age. They grew up together. Her name was Grace. He loved her so. He couldn't wait to wake up to see her, when he was younger. He knew at the age of 8 that she was the one he would spend the rest of his life with.

Voldemort got wind of his distraction and killed her right in front of him. Ever since then, he vowed to never love again.

After a bit of silence, Hermione spoke up.

"Draco? Why do things have to be this way? Why can't we be friends without worrying what others think?"

"I don't know Mione. My father is finally out of the picture. But there are others around. Others who are looking out for me while he's there and they give him detailed reports. I wouldn't want to harm you. I _know_ they would." He said, quietly as he looked down.

" I understand. I hate the thought of pretending to hate you. I'm sure that Harry and …and Ron wouldn't understand anything. I could always try to explain."

"You don't have to do that. I would never expect something like that out of you."

"So what do we do now?" She asked above a whisper.

"As much as I do hate it, I believe we should go back to the way things were. I can't risk you getting hurt. I couldn't live with myself if another person died because of me."

She nodded.

"Well we're friends now, I wonder why the spell hasn't been lifted?" He said, trying to change the subject as quick as possible."

"Maybe he's just waiting for the week to end." She said to herself.

" I guess so."

Things were quiet once again. They both looked up at each other. The longing in their eyes both reached down to their souls.

" I guess we should go back to the way things were before then." Hermione said, trying to hold back tears.

" Yes, I guess so. Let's just wait for the week to pass. We've only got 2 more days."

"Ok." She said above a whisper and ran to her room.

With her door shut tight behind her, she cried. She cried for Draco and his hard life. She cried for herself and her ability to choose the wrong people to love. She just cried.

Hours later, out of exhaustion, she lay staring out her window. The moon shone brightly through.

"Why?" She whispered to herself.

She felt the bed crease and arms snake around her stomach pulling her close.

"Because fate is a very **_wicked_** thing." She heard Draco drawl.

She turned towards him and smiled.

"Let's just enjoy these next two days, shall we?" He said with a smirk.

He leaned over and kissed her.


	9. Like nothing happened

They awoke in the morning in each other's arms. Never had either known such comfort or joy. To have someone who truly cares for you, want to hold you forever. 

It seemed as if the day went by incredibly fast. Now that they wanted to be with each other, time would not be on their side.

"Draco?" She asked quietly as they were cuddling together on the couch.

"Yes, love?"

" I don't want things to change. I don't care what happens."

He stirred slightly. "I don't want things to change either. But I don't want you hurt." He said, as if that would make it alright.

" But don't you understand? If I cant be with you, I will hurt. Worse than any death. That is complete torture, Draco. To see you everyday and not be able to touch you or talk to you. I don't want that." She said heat idly.

"I do understand. More than you think I would." He said staring at her. They leaned in and kissed passionately. They kissed for their wounded hearts and strong yearnings to be loved.

The last day they spend holding each other tight. They didn't want to let go. They wanted to spend every waking moment in each others arms.

They didn't even eat for fear that as soon as they let go, it would all end.

At around dinnertime a letter appeared.

**_Dear Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger,_**

**_In a few moments, you'll be back in Hogwarts. Asleep in your beds as if nothing ever happened._**

**_Please mention this to no one. Not even close friends._**

**_I hope something good came from this._**

**_Sincerely,_**

**_Albus Dumbledore_**

They looked at each other with eyes of pain.

"Love, I'll never forget you." He said as he kissed her gently.

Hermione went to reply, but she felt a tugging at her bellybutton and the next thing she knew, she was in her bed.

Where she cried herself to sleep.

(A/N) **Sorry it took so long to update. I work a full-time job, go to school and I'm planning my wedding. So please do not make rude comments on how I should update. Its only been 1 month. And the intervals will be like that. I'm sorry it took so long though. I just have been stuck. That's why this chapter sucked. I felt rushed.**


	10. Why Can't Things Be More Simple

The next morning, Hermione dressed slowly. She felt very sluggish because of her lack of sleep. She knew this day was going to be very hard. She met Harry and Ron in the common room before heading to breakfast. 

"So?" Harry asked, with a quixotic face.

"What?" She asked back. Rather shortly too.

" How was detention? I take it , not that great." responded Ron.

"It was fine. I'm just tired is all."

"Fine? Malfoy didn't mess with you?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

"No, actually, we got along fine. We worked together and got done a lot earlier than planned." Hermione said , matter of factly.

"That's odd. You don't think he's got a plan to do you in, huh?" Ron asked with an odd expression on his face.

"No, Ron! Just because he has the capability to be civil and you don't, doesn't mean you have to attack him." She said hotly and walked out.

"What's up with her?" Ron asked Harry.

"Oh, I dunno. We'll find out sooner or later. Probably lack of sleep." He said. But Harry knew better. Harry knew what happened. He could see it all over her face. But there was no sense in saying anything to Ron. He wouldn't understand at all.

Hermione thrust open the doors to the Great Hall and many people turned to stare. She didn't hesitate to walk swiftly to her seat to fix her plate.

The owl's swept into the Great hall dropping packages to the assorted people.

A letter landed in her lap. It was in a green envelope and was very light.

Upon opening it, a small piece of paper slid out.

**_Please tell me it wasn't a dream_**.

**_-D_**

That was all it said. She looked up at the steely gray/blue eyes that had been staring at her since she walked through the doors.

She wanted to cry out then. She wanted to say, "LET ME BE HAPPY, WORLD!"

But all she could manage was a small smile.

She kept that letter in her pocket the entire day . Taking it out every once in a while for a quick glance.

In the privacy of the Owlery, she wrote a letter back to him.

**_It wasn't a dream. And I'll never forget a second of it. Why can't everything be more simple?_**

**_-H_**

She walked back to her room , crying all the way. When she reached the common room, Harry stopped her.

"Hermione..I.."

"I don't feel like talking right now, Harry. Maybe later."

"No, you don't understand.."

"You don't understand. I just don't FEEL like talking right now."

"HERMIONE A LETTER ARRIVED FOR YOU WHILE YOU WERE OUT!" Harry yelled all at once so that she wouldn't innterupt him.

"Oh. I'm…I'm sorry. Thank you." She said as she blushed.

He handed it to her and hugged her. Before he pulled away he said ever so softly in her ears, "I know what is going on. And if you ever want to talk about it, no matter who it involves, I'm here for you." Then he kissed her cheek and went to his dormitories.

She stood astounded as she opened the letter.

**_Meet me in the Room of Requirement, now. I have to see you._**

**_-D_**

**(a/n) Sorry it took so long, guys. I hope this chapter was good. I worked on it a long long time. :) Let me know! And i'll get this next chapter up A.S.A.P. But I wanna see some REVIEWS!_  
_**


	11. I'm not designed that way

Hermione quickly ran to the Room of Requirement. The urgency of this letter unsettled her . 

As she opened the door, she saw Draco with his head in his hands.

"What is it? What happened? What did I do?" She said quickly.

He looked up, with tears in his eyes and a smile on his face. She got very confused.

"My father died early this morning. And all I can think about right now, is you." He said, and started laughing madly.

"He…he died?"

"Yes, finally went mad…killed himself." He said in a distant voice.

"Oh, Draco. I'm so sorry." She said as she ran to his side and hugged him close.

"It's ok." He said quietly. "Do you understand what this means?" he asked her.

"I …I don't know. What?"

"We can be together. We don't have to worry about anything anymore. We can be ourselves."

She sat in silence, mulling over the words he spoke. The decisions she'd have to make. The sacrifices.  
Harry would understand. But Ron wouldn't. But at this point in time, she really didn't care.

"Do you want to be with me , Hermione?" He asked. "or was this all a game?"

She looked at him and saw pain in his eyes. Anger as well.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not answering me at all. Your expression hasn't changed."

"Draco, you cant possible tell me how I feel. I'm rationalizing the situation." She said, putting her hand on his knee. He got up swiftly and walked across the room.

"Of course." He said , furiously. "That's all you know how to do. Rationalize. Think."

"Excuse me?" She said, stunned. " I don't think I like the way you're talking to me."

"Well I don't like the way I feel right now." He screamed.

"What are you feeling? If you could maybe fill me in, I could try to help." She said softly.

He started to pace with his anger flaring. He punched the wall quickly. Hermione let out a frightened gasp.

"Draco? Talk to me. Please. We can't fix anything if you're going to shut yourself away from me."

"What is that suppose to mean?" He asked , screaming again.

"It means you're treating me very wrongly right now, and I'd like you take a step back and consider your actions!" She finaly screamed at him.

"Deal with it." He said, crossly. And he walked out of the room.

She sat there, once more in silence.

What just happened? She thought to herself. How could someones persona change within 2 minutes?

She left slowly and walked back to the dormitories. This night was too confusing. So full of emotion.

She never thought that she'd be in a situation like this with Draco. How could this all happen within a week?

The next few days, they avoided each other. It seemed that Draco thought it best to act like he used to. He ignored her for the most part, but if he had to converse with her, he was openly rude.

But nothing hurt more, than when he called her mudblood for the first time since they had made amends. She tried to talk to him for the billionth time. He pushed past her and spit in her face.

"How dare you talk to me….m..m..mudblood." He stuttered.

She cried all the way to her dormitory. And didn't eat supper that night.

She made her way to the library for the 40th time that week. It was the only place she could escape everything. If she just opened a book and started reading, she could forget it all.

She couldn't forget the aching in her heart though.

"Mione?" said a voice, waking her out of her reading refuge.

"What is it Harry?"

"What did he do?" He asked simply.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, looking back down at her book.

"Don't play stupid with me. What did Malfoy do?"

She looked at him. She could trust him. He would understand. So she broke down and told him everything , from the beginning to the end. He didn't say a word.

"So, here I am. Even more miserable than I was before." She finished, out of breath.

He sat back, taking in everything she said.

"Don't you see what happened? He only reverted back to his old personality because it's all that he knows. Now that his father is gone, he doesn't know where to start. How to become his own person."

He did make sense. A lot of sense. And why she couldn't see that herself, baffled her.

She got back to her dormitories and sat down to write him a letter.

**_Draco,_**

**_Before throwing this away, please read it and listen to what I have to say. I care very deeply for you and I don't want to see you upset. I don't want to see you hurt or angry. And I know I cannot prevent life from happening, but I can atleast be there for you while it does. So please, just let me in and don't worry about the way things used to be. We've changed and for the better. YOU have changed for the better. And I believe in you and what you can be._**

**_H_**

A week had gone by and no word from Draco. In fact, she hadn't seen him at all. He came to class late and left as soon as he could, making sure to have the seat closest to the doors.

She took it for what it was. He didn't want help. He was fine without her. She didn't want to believe it though.

One night as she was walking back from dinner she was grabbed by the arm and pulled into a desolate classroom. She started to scream but a strong hand covered her mouth.

Then she heard "Lumos" whipered.

There before her, stood Draco. His hair falling onto his forehead and his eyes bloodshot.

"Granger..I.."

"Oh, so we're back to last names now?" Hermione said, gathering strength. She wasn't going to be made a fool.

"Please just…"

"NO! No. You've tortured me for the past 2 weeks. Worse than ever before. I don't want to listen to what you have to say, frankly. I didn't expect it from Ron, but you….ha…I should have expected it from you. But that doesn't make it hurt any less. In fact, it hurts more. So please, if you would kindly move aside, I'll get on with my life." She said all in a bustle.

He pinned her against the wall. "You're not going to walk away from me." he said angrily.

"No, that's your job." She said coldly.

His grip loosened and his eyes stared back at her with pain.

"It's the only thing I know how to do, Hermione. I don't know how to love. I don't know how to be nice. I'm not designed like that." he said softly.

"You're not designed that way? You're not a robot. You're a human being capable of love and happiness. You wont LET yourself be capable of that."

He looked at her and smiled. "Roobot? What's a roobot?"

"It's a muggle contraption..that… Oh hush." she said trying to hide her smile.

Things were quiet for a minute.

"Hermione, I probably can't make up for my actions. But …let me try. Please?" He said in a husky voice, moving closer to her.

"I don't want to be hurt anymore, Draco. I can't take that again."

"Then I'll spend the rest of my life, trying to prevent that."

Then he pressed his lips firmly against hers.

**a/n Sorry for the delay. I've been actually working on this chapter for 3 days. Hah. SO yeah. Review guys!**


	12. Just Give It Time

Time couldn't have gone by faster. The days melted into each other. They all seemed the same, anyways. 

The news spread quickly of their relationship. And just like any other juicy gossip, it died with in 2 weeks. But the 2 weeks that it was the 'hot topic', were hell for both of them. Mostly Hermione.

"You do realize you're just another conquest, right?" yelled Pansy Parkinson, every chance she got. "You mean absolutely nothing to him. You'll see. Just you wait."

Her voice was so full of venom and hate. And Hermione knew, of course, it had a lot to do with jealously.

The stares that they got as the walked through the hallways, hand in hand, were those mixed with shock and confusion.

Ron was thoroughly agitated at Hermione and ignored her existence.

"It wont be the first time he has ignored my feelings. And I'm sure it wont be the last." She screamed at him as he got up from the table in the Great Hall.

"He just needs time adjusting, Mione. You know Ron, he's stubborn, but he eventually comes around." Harry said wisely.

"_**YOU **_didn't need time to adjust. You've been understanding from the start." She muttered, miserably.

"Well, I also didn't date you."

"That has nothing to do with anything. He cheated on me with Parvati. I should still be ignoring him. But you don't see me acting like a great big git." Hermione fumed.

"Just give it time." Harry said to her, behind a smile.

"You're right, Harry. Thank you for being so understanding."

And Harry had been VERY understanding in the matter. Although , he couldn't forgive Malfoy as easily as Hermione, he still didn't judge their relationship.

Ever since Sirius' death, Harry had mellowed out a lot. He stuck to himself more. He didn't really tell anyone why, but you could definetly tell he was trying to distance himself from others. Hermione took it as he didn't want to lose anyone else close to him. And she understood completely, for that matter.

She could tell there were many times that he wanted to say something to her, but caught himself. Like there was this big important thing that he needed to get of his chest, but he couldn't possibly say it. It was some deep dark secret that he would keep to himself or until he was ready to speak.

Hermione made her way to the library, dragging her feet slowly. Suddenly, she was grabbed by the arm and pulled into another classroom.

"Not this again, Draco. I'm not in the mood." she laughed.

"I'm afraid that you've been mistaken, mudblood." Hissed a venomous voice.

"Pansy? What do you want with me?" Hermione asked, trying to hide her fear. She wasn't doing a good job.

"We need to have a little talk." She said simply, lighting a few candles. "It concerns Draco."

"Look, we're together, get over it. Ok?" Hermione said, heading towards the door.

"Oh, but this information is something you'll want to have. I assure you."

"Is this another ploy for me to get rid of him? Because , honestly, why would I believe a word that you say? You haven't exactly proven yourself to be very trustworthy." spoke Hermione.

"Mudblood, do you not realize what he is doing?" Pansy said in amazement.

"If you are going to talk to me civily, please refer to me as my name and not an insult." Hermione said, as she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever , Granger. Back to the subject. He's doing this only to defy everyone."

"There is no one left to defy. His father is dead. Who is left?"

"The Dark Lord, you dimwit. Are you so thick as not to know of the Dark Lord's interest in him?" She spat.

"Why are you telling me this?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"Because! Why do I have to have a reason?" Pansy screamed at her.

"You are an evil person with wicked intentions. Why wouldn't I question you, Parkinson?"

"Because, if you don't listen to me, you'll end up as I have. Bitter and cold. He does this to every girl he comes across. Only _**YOU**_ are more of a challenge. And the victory is sweet , to him. Your life is in danger and he enjoys it. He _**LOVES**_ danger, believe me. It's what he thrives on. " Pansy said, all at once. By this time she had gotten RIGHT into Hermione's face.

Hermione stood in silence taking into consideration , what Pansy was saying. If it were true, Draco would have shown that he hasn't change. But certainly he couldn't do this to hurt her. He stated clearly that he didn't want to.

"_But he said that before, and look what happened_." Hermione's inner voice said.

" Well, thank you for the warning, but I think I can handle things on my own." Hermione said quickly, and rushed out of the room.

She ran to the library, hoping to forget that whole conversation. "_She's bitter and untrustworthy. She's just angry at you for winning the guy_." Hermione kept telling herself.

When she arrived at the library, she walked to the very back and sat at her table. She pulled out her homework and began to study.

Hours later , she felt arms snake around her. She looked up and stared back into the pale eyes that gazed ,oh so lovingly, at her.

"Thought I'd find you here." he said, as he kissed her forehead.

"Where else would I be?" She stated more than asked.

"How has your day been?" He asked, as he sat down in the seat next to her.

"Interesting, to say the least, but not that bad."

"Interesting, eh? What happened? Did Weasel-bee say something obnoxious again?"

"No, not really. I don't feel like talking about it."

"Ok, love." he said simply.

They sat in the library for another hour just talking. It had become their nightly ritual because not many students ventured that far in the back, and they were pretty much left alone.

He talked sweetly to her and held her hand across the table. She cherished these times. They were really the only times that they had now.

Their love was blossoming and blooming into something so wonderful and pure. You could look at both of their faces and see the love that was forming.

But, they couldn't forsee what was just around the bend. The future that they so willingly looked forward to, held dark and lonely days.

For a war was on the bring of starting.

And they would be most affected by it.


End file.
